
You want to learn how to make easy, inexpensive homemade catnip spray, ay? Well, you've come to the right place! There are plenty of good reasons to make your own kitty-enchanting spritzes - for instance, you can control the strength, change up the recipe to include other intoxicating herbs, and you know exactly what's going into the whole mess. There are plenty of methods for making your spray, but the simplest method is by steeping. So let's get to making your fabulous feline tea!
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What You Need for Your Homemade Catnip Spray
1. Dry or Fresh Catnip*
2. Fresh, clean water
3. Tea Infuser or Coffee Filter with a Bit of String
4. Cheesecloth (optional)
5. Spray Bottles
How to Make Homemade Catnip Spray
- Put your water on for boiling - either with a tea kettle or a plain ol' pot. Begin with about one cup, and be sure to continue boiling for at least three minutes after it starts rolling, just to ensure the water is clean and healthy.
- Measure out your catnip. Some homemade catnip spray enthusiasts swear by 1/4th cup of dried herb; however, if this is your first time using it, I would start with just a pinch. You can always up the dose later.
- Load your infuser with your desired amount of catnip. If you only have coffee filters on
hand, never fear! Just pour your catnip in the center of the filter, give it a bit of a twist, then tie it off with string or thread. - Place your infuser or herbal sachet in a heat-safe measuring cup, then cover with your boiling water.
- Let the infusion steep for a minimum of 15 minutes. Keep in mind, though, that even if you only used a pinch of the plant, the longer you let it sit, the stronger it will get - at least to a point. As a rule of thumb, steep the minimum 15 minutes, plus however long it takes to get to room temperature.
- Strain your tea through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. This step is optional, and actually depends a lot on what sort of container you used. Sometimes pieces of catnip can break through and float freely in your tea, especially if you used a coffee filter and string. This isn't necessarily harmful, but can clog up your sprayer's nozzle.
*Note:
So... if you've read some of my other articles, you know that catnip isn't necessarily effective for every cat. There are, however, several alternatives, and you can read about them here. These herbs can actually be made into sprays using the exact same method - though, if you're thinking of trying honeysuckle, be sure to use the bark and not the flowers or berries.
Conclusion
Now that you've made up your homemade catnip spray, you can go ahead and spritz it on
toys, scratchers, posts... really, anywhere you want to add a little zazz to your kitty's life!
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Could you use a coffee maker or does it have to set in the water for 15 minutes?
You can certainly go the coffee maker route – it will absolutely speed up the process. But it is important to bear in mind that extreme heat can lessen the effects of certain herbs. That said, it will go quicker, but may be a little less zingy than a slower-brewed batch.